Admissions season for the Class of 2030 — the Century Class — is officially underway!
In this issue, you’ll get an inside look at the many moving parts of Chaminade’s admissions process, a process that has changed dramatically, even in the last five years.
I still remember my own journey to Chaminade. I’ve told the story a few times, but it still makes me smile. I’m number five of eight children in the Cleary family. My four older siblings attended Maria Regina (now Kellenberg Memorial High School). When it came time for me to choose a high school, my parents had me apply to three other Catholic schools, but not Chaminade.
January of 1977 arrived, and I received my acceptance letters. It wasn’t until March that my dad’s law partner casually suggested Chaminade. I had never even heard of the place! My dad called the president’s office, and I came in for an interview. For reasons known only to God, I was accepted. The rest, as they say, is history. Looking back, I can see God’s grace quietly steering my life in a way I didn’t recognize at the time.
Now, decades later, I’ve begun my 15th year as president of Chaminade High School, sitting in the very same office where a shy eighth grader once sat in the fall of 1977.
Our director of admissions and his team treat every application as if it were for their own sons. Every call is returned, every email answered, every tour personalized with the full Chaminade experience woven into it. We never take for granted the young men who choose to apply here. We also never stop improving. Years ago, we didn’t offer school-day tours; now, we host more than 200 of them annually. Every family who walks through our doors should leave feeling they’ve already joined the Chaminade Family.
Recently, I read Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, a book about creating a culture focused entirely on the guest’s experience. I thought of our admissions team immediately and gave them each a copy. That spirit of hospitality begins the moment a young man steps in for a tour, continues through his four years as a Flyer, and lasts long after graduation.
And now, we prepare to welcome the Class of 2030, the Century Class of Chaminade High School. What a milestone!
Wishing you a wonderful fall. And as I always say: if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello. That’s what families do. (This summer I had two great visits from alumni Alex Taylor and Tim Dolan and their families when they were in town. I hope more of you will take me up on that offer!)
“Every family who walks through our doors should leave feeling they’ve already joined the Chaminade Family.”
Bro. Thomas J. Cleary, S.M. ’81 President
An Office for all Seasons
Mr. Tom Elder ’10 was hired as director of admissions over four years ago. Before that, an Office of Admissions did not exist at Chaminade; admissions decisions were handled from the president’s office. Tom was presented with a daunting yet exciting challenge: how to raise the bar for our admissions efforts and how to ensure that application numbers remain competitive.
When asked what a “typical” day looks like for admissions, Tom simply replies, “It really depends on the month because our year is really divided into four different seasons or ‘phases.’ Our points of focus change throughout the year.”
Tom leads a team that includes Oliver Luisi ’97, Paul Meyfohrt, Matt Davis, and a dedicated group of Student Ambassadors. From late spring throughout the summer months, the admissions team finds itself in Phase One, focusing its primary efforts on seventh graders. Working with the Office of Communications and a third-party marketing company, Tom explains, “We’re trying to enhance Chaminade’s brand
awareness. We visit as many elementary schools as possible and offer tours and campus visits to entire classes. We introduce ourselves through the Chaminade summer camp program as well, which welcomes nearly 3,000.” The teams have developed a social media campaign to introduce the school to an ever-expanding audience. In recent years, an emphasis has specifically been focused on New York City, especially Queens. “We recognized that there have been several recent demographic changes in the tri-state area. We now provide bus service to several areas in Queens.” The office has acknowledged that it must introduce the school to a new audience by providing potential families with direct information about the value of an investment in a Chaminade education - especially that four years at our school will also provide a lifetime’s worth of relationships with alumni events such as the Chaminade Leadership Summit (CLS), networking opportunities, and chapter socials throughout the country. No matter where a Flyer lands, there are others to support him.
Although the phases certainly overlap, Phase Two runs from August to November. After tackling brand awareness in the prior months, the Office of Admissions reaches out to the families that have already toured the campus or whose sons have attended the camps, encouraging them to apply and sit for the TACHS Exam. Additional tours and virtual information sessions are offered. Youth organizations are contacted, and as Tom states, “we try to personalize” our efforts as much as possible with specific members of the Chaminade community. The team leverages the school’s vast alumni network, encouraging their sons and grandsons to apply to Chaminade.
Phase Two culminates with the open house in October. What was a self-guided tour of the campus has evolved into a more focused effort to personalize the day to cater to the individual interests of potential applicants.
Once the exam scores are released, Phase Three begins. In previous years, the entrance exam was the sole criterion for admission into Chaminade. Today, the office reviews not only scores, but it also carefully reviews academic transcripts from middle school, as well as the applicant’s demonstrated interest in Chaminade. The Merit Scholarship Committee nominates candidates for awards, and the Office of Financial Aid reviews possible candidates who may have difficulty affording tuition.
Phase Four begins in January when acceptance letters, financial aid offers, and scholarship awards are all determined. The admissions team endeavors to make as much personal contact with candidates as possible, starting with Accepted Students Day in the middle of January.
Tom explains, “We don’t just want the candidates to register in January. We focus our efforts on their actual attendance in
August. We try to make as much personal contact as possible.” They organize Future Flyer events to invite these young men and their families to sporting events, concerts, and theater performances.
One effort that remains consistent throughout the year is the dedication of the Student Ambassadors. This small group of young men provides personal connections to prospective students (and parents) by leading campus-wide tours. They offer their first-hand knowledge of what the day-to-day life of a Chaminade student looks like. The young men also introduce the families to the alumni network, college placement, and the Chaminade Family.
Student Ambassadors personalize tours and visits to a prospective student’s interests and goals. For example, if a young man is interested in the arts, the ambassador may introduce him to the Drama Club director or a member of the Vocal Chamber Ensemble. Former ambassador Vincent DiPierro ’25 said, “We all try to make the tours as personal as possible. On one occasion, we had a prospective student and his family who were concerned about the walk to and from the Mineola train station. As a train student myself, I walked the family to the station just to ease their worries.” Not only was the current freshman class the most vetted class in our school’s history, but it was also one of the most competitive to get into. Application and waitlist numbers are at a record high. When asked about the dangers of complacency, Tom laughs, “It’s a tough marketplace. Long Island and New York City have dozens of great schools. It’s our job to make sure that Chaminade remains at the absolute top of that list and to reach as many students as possible who can eventually call Chaminade home.”
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE
Shepherding in the Next Generation
STUDENT AMBASSADORS SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAMINADE WITH OTHERS
The work of Student Ambassadors has developed into a bedrock component of the way Chaminade approaches its admissions efforts. Serving as representatives of the school’s mission and values, young men provide prospective students and their families with a meaningful first impression of Chaminade, as their personal tour guide and tangible image of what a Chaminade man can look like. Through their witness, ambassadors communicate the spirit of fraternity and formation that define the Chaminade journey.
“Student Ambassadors are showing the parents of any eighth grader who and what their son can become,” states Bro. Thomas Cleary, S.M. ’81. “You cannot fake passion. Our ambassadors are modeling the culture and the formation they have received at Chaminade and, by doing so, are our greatest representatives of the mission.
“The student ambassadors give a realistic vision of life at Chaminade for both prospective students and parents,” explains Principal Mr. Robert Paul ’92. “There is a collective ownership now of our admissions effort where both admissions counselors, faculty, administration, and students feel a part of that.”
There are many joys gained from the ambassador program. Many students learn vital interpersonal communication skills while also making new connections.
“I love showing off my school because I love being here,” reflects Thomas Rubenacker, a junior from Centerport. “I love showing new students that there really is a place for everyone here at Chaminade. I know it's more than just learning about academics and sports and such; going to high school should also be about how the environment makes you feel. I want all kids to feel welcome when I give them a tour.”
“An ideal student ambassador is a student who understands the values and importance of Chaminade as a community and reflects that in how they speak, behave, and carry themselves,” admits Mr. Oliver Luisi ’97, a member of the admissions team. “Ideally, he is an exemplary student in our school, engaged in activities or sports, and representing our student body with class, maturity, and a welcoming spirit.”
“Some students have no idea what Chaminade is about; they may even be a little resistant to the idea of attending here,” states Seamus Cunnane, a current senior from
Wantagh. “I have seen their mindset shifting more open to the opportunity over the course of a tour, simply by the very real and often clear perspective I, as an ambassador, can offer to a student. It’s one thing hearing why you should attend Chaminade from a parent or a coach or teacher; it is another hearing it from someone who’s in it as a student, a peer of one’s own generation. It makes the whole admissions process more real.”
Ambassadors undergo an extensive application process and continuous training on the layout and features of Chaminade’s campus, programs, and data points, while also contributing their own personal experience to their touring styles.
“I remember when I first came to Chaminade, I was on a tour led by a student I eventually became friends with when I was a student a year later,” reflects Michael Biondolillo, a junior ambassador from Brooklyn. “He really made an impact on me, not only showing me all around the school and giving me honest feedback about some of my uncertainties, but he also presented Chaminade as a place that helps you grow as you go through it. His hospitality toward me really made me want to channel that onto others now that I am an ambassador.”
“I often receive emails and comments from families who are impressed with our ambassadors,” reflects Mr. Paul Meyfohrt, one of the admissions leads for student ambassadors. “Many express surprise at how confidently and professionally the students present themselves and share that they hope their own sons will grow to demonstrate the same maturity and polish.”
In every tour, in every question, and in every small gesture of hospitality, Chaminade’s Student Ambassadors showcase the heart of Marianist education. Chaminade has always been a place where faith, fraternity, academic inquiry, and global connection intersect, and the ambassadors can quite effectively act as a bridge for prospective students from whom they imagine themselves to be in a dream to a lived reality rooted in community. The admissions program invests in ambassadors as living proof of what Chaminade strives to cultivate in its young men of faith and action. By guiding prospective families with honesty and enthusiasm, Chaminade’s ambassadors ensure that the tradition of Marianist education of the whole man thrives, one new student at a time.
"Student Ambassadors are showing the parents of any eighth grader who and what their son can become."
This December we will kick off a new campaign called 12 Days of Giving. From December 1–12, our Chaminade Family will come together in the spirit of generosity and gratitude. Each day we’ll highlight a unique way your giving helps shape the Chaminade experience, from academics and faith formation to athletics and the arts, and so much more!
Whether you give to the Torch Fund, volunteer your time, or simply share kindness with others, every act of giving helps keep the Chaminade spirit alive.
Admissions by the Numbers
TRENDS IN CHAMINADE’S ENROLLMENT SHOW INCREDIBLE OUTREACH
Chaminade’s admissions strategy has grown into a thoughtful, multi-layered effort that blends data-driven analysis with human connection. “We try to be as data-driven as possible,” explains Mr. Thomas Elder ’10, director of admissions. By analyzing enrollment trends, Elder and his team refine how they reach prospective families, ensuring that outreach remains both personalized and effective. “We want our foot in the door of every Catholic school on Long Island, and we do that through proactive encounters. We acknowledge the trends that show how students move through our admissions process, which then becomes a critical focus for all our efforts and how we actually provide outreach and individualized experiences.” Over the years, Chaminade admissions has become more of a collective effort, a holistic involvement across many departments and offices. “Just as we educate students holistically in our academic programs,” states Mr. Robert Paul ’92, “we have found success developing an evaluation of prospective students that treats the full individual as a comprehensive view of both student interest, stickability, and academic standing.”
That holistic philosophy is also guiding new financial aid initiatives. “We've made a deliberate and sustained effort to expand financial assistance for current and future Chaminade families,” says COO Mr. Brian Crimmins ’95. "Over the past years, we've significantly increased our financial and programs to ensure that academically qualified students from all economic backgrounds have the oppurtunity to attend Chaminade. Our goal is simple: we don't want financial circumstances to be the reason a young man can't become a Flyer."
Admissions is a mosaic of all different considerations, brought together to provide students with the best possible experience, from first steps on campus to, hopefully, enrollment and attendance at Chaminade. “We never want students to feel like mere percentages in our files,” reminds Elder. “We never want to lose the human connection that is at the core of the Christian encounter and educational pursuit.” To illustrate this growth and intentional outreach, the following data provides a closer look at the trends and impact of our admissions initiatives in recent years.
Class Enrollment by Geographic Location and School Type
Changing the Game
INNOVATIVE WAYS TO BRING STUDENTS INTO THE CHAMINADE WORLD
The admissions process has become a dynamic and collaborative effort. With an ever-changing landscape of young people on Long Island, Chaminade’s admissions team has embraced modern tools to extend Chaminade’s traditional values outward into the world in new and exciting ways. From refining outreach strategies to ensuring every encounter feels meaningful, the admissions program strives to balance efficiency with personal encounters.
“What sets us apart in our admissions efforts is our balance between incorporating new marketing technology
without losing that human quality that is embedded in the very fabric of our school’s mission of excellence,” admits Bro. Thomas Cleary, S.M. ’81. “The admissions team accompanies prospective families from their very first interaction, adding unique and personal details to everything we do.”
“How can a young man see himself in our space?” posits Mr. Thomas Elder ’10, director of admissions. “We are always asking ourselves how our outreach can carry with it an individuality that makes all prospective students feel at home in the moment and confident enough to pursue the
questions that they actually want to ask. We have invested a significant amount of time and energy in developing innovative ways to engage families where they are.”
Chaminade’s reach continues to find a foothold in Nassau and Suffolk, while also extending outward to areas of Queens, Brooklyn, and the greater Manhattan area.
“Our footprint is growing year after year,” states Mr. Robert Paul ’92. “It is a super-competitive model for high school admissions that necessitates our constant adaptation and growth to meet the needs and interests of middle school students and their families. There is such an information overload nowadays, with all kinds of new media, that we constantly have to consider how not to get lost in the sea of other options. What allows us to stand out and stand apart is our quick, collaborative adaptability to the ever-changing landscape of Catholic education on Long Island and beyond.”
“We are excited to be providing more intentional outreach to middle schools in Brooklyn and Queens, working proactively to provide prospective families many opportunities for visits or one-on-one’s with our admissions team,” states Bro. Thomas.
One foundational goal for the admissions team is to bring as many students to Chaminade’s campus as possible to provide individualized and personable experiences, positioning our spirit of welcome as a pivotal moment for encounter between prospective and current students. This work has developed alongside an institutional growth that bridges the present with the goals and dreams of the strategic vision. “The innovative expansion we have seen across many areas of Chaminade life, most notably the enhancements made to our academic programs, parallels the incredible modernization of our admissions process,” states Mr. Brian Crimmins ’95, COO. “What once was dependent on one entrance exam has become a full, comprehensive evaluation and view of prospective students.”
Everything we do for prospective families speaks volumes of our care for every detail. “We combine traditional and modern outreach,” reflects Mr. Paul Meyfohrt, member of the admissions team. “Each family who tours with us receives a handwritten note and a follow-up email. We also connect families with coaches, activity moderators, and academic departments based on their interests.”
“We have also pioneered the effort to go out into school communities in order to engage students both in their current schools and bring groups to campus to experience Chaminade, states Tom Elder ’10. “We have partnered with CYO leagues, co-curricular activities, and even Catholic middle schools to get day trips planned in order to really provide a remarkable experience for interested students.”
Making admissions a collaborative initiative allows Chaminade to pioneer new ways of engaging with families. Using systems such as a CRM, tour scheduling systems, virtual tours, and social media campaigns along with our institutional partnership with Niche, the admissions teams can evaluate and note every moment of the admissions journey for every student.
“We leverage technology in order to provide an experience akin to incredible customer service,” continues Tom Elder ’10.
“We pay attention to every detail and remember encounters so as to cultivate further engagement with students that fits their own interests and hopes. We hope to make connections in real time with students. Whether a student interested in Chinese gets to meet with the World Language department chair or a student who loves to sing gets to stop in briefly to see the Chorus practicing on his campus tour, we are in the business of providing personalized and memorable encounters for all those who explore our school.”
Technology allows the admissions team the bandwidth to attend to the small things so as to really cultivate a larger vision of encounter that gives space for new families to ask, explore, engage, and trust Chaminade in all the ways that need to throughout their admissions process. With adaptive perspective, the entire enterprise of Chaminade admissions has not lost its human quality, while pioneering the cutting edge of innovation and setting the precedent for other schools and admissions efforts. At the root of all of those innovations in our work is the truth that real encounters are crucial in the decision-making process for families and their sons.
More than Dollars and Cents
THE GROWTH OF CHAMINADE’S TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
“A Chaminade education is a privilege and should be available to every man who qualifies for it academically,” explained Kevin Conway ’76. That belief has shaped the philosophy behind the school’s financial aid program, which has grown dramatically in recent years to meet the needs of families across our region. What began as a modest effort has now expanded into a cornerstone of Chaminade’s mission. With initiatives like Access For All and the Presidential Scholars Program, financial and has grown from $500,000 in annual assistance to more than $2 million in four years. Today, nearly 13% of the student body benefits from financial aid or merit-based scholarships, a number that continues to climb each year.
The process of awarding support is rooted in fairness and integrity. Families seeking need-based aid apply through FACTS Management, a secure third-party platform that allows for the confidential and objective review of financial information. Each application is carefully considered by the financial aid office to ensure resources are directed to where they are needed most. Merit scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement.
Incoming students who score highly on the TACHS exam are reviewed by the merit scholarship committee, which considers both exam results and academic transcripts before offering awards. These programs together reflect the school’s dedication to giving every qualified student the opportunity to experience the fullness of a Chaminade education.
Financial aid and scholarship recipients take part in the same wide range of opportunities available to all students, from over 60 extracurricular activities to top-of-the-line athletic facilities. With the help of the guidance and college placement team, students who once thought certain universities were beyond their reach are now finding themselves accepted at top colleges. One aid recipient explained it best when he said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Chaminade at an affordable cost for my family. Without that generosity, my high school experience would have been completely different.” His story is just one of many that illustrate how financial aid is changing lives.
The success of these programs depends on the generosity of alumni and benefactors who understand that supporting today’s students strengthens tomorrow’s leaders. Their contributions make it possible for the financial aid office not only to cover tuition but also to provide wrap-around support when needed, from supplies to counseling. By helping families shoulder the cost of tuition, Chaminade ensures that its Marianist mission continues to thrive, forming young men who are prepared to serve their communities with faith and integrity.
As the school prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the role of financial aid has never been more vital. Rising costs and shifting economic realities have placed new pressures on families, but Chaminade remains committed to its promise that financial limitations should not prevent qualified young men from joining its brotherhood. The growth of the financial aid program is more than just an investment in dollars and cents. It is an investment in futures, in faith, and in a legacy that will carry Chaminade forward for the next century and beyond.
